Blog | Wisconsin Mommy

Three Ways to Start the School Year Right

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. It's hard to believe that Back to School time is already here again! It seems like we were just celebrating the 4th of July yesterday. (It's still hotter than heck here, so I think that might be contributing to my denial.) I am usually a huge fan of all things Fall, but this year I'm just not ...

Family Friendly Things to Do in Appleton, Wisconsin

When I first moved to Wisconsin, we spent a lot of time checking out all the things to do in Milwaukee. We hit the museum, the festivals and tried a LOT of new restaurants. There was plenty to keep us busy! After we moved out the suburbs and started a family, we also started exploring other Wisconsin locations - places that were an easy drive for us and offered their own unique things to ...

Snyder’s of Hanover Now Allergy Safe

As the mom of an allergy kid, I get a little obsessive about the kinds of prepackaged foods I allow in my house. Understandably (and thankfully!) the teachers at Josh's school are the same way. If it isn't nut-free, it doesn't go in the classroom and it doesn't go near Josh's mouth. It only takes one "Mom, my tongue feels funny..." to make me into an obsessive label checker. And it never fails to ...

My Not So Iron Stomach

This post is part of a compensated ambassadorship with Dramamine but all opinions and stories of upset stomachs are (unfortunately) my own. When I was a kid, I had an iron stomach. It wasn't that I never came down with the stomach flu - believe me I did! - it was just that I didn't get sick to stomach unless I was sick. Gross things didn't make me puke. (Faint, yes. Puke, no.) I could even read ...

Create Positive Behavior Support for Children

I've been working with kids since I was eleven. (Yes, I know I was just a kid then too, but my neighbor hired me to help out with her two boys under the age of three when she was pregnant with her third.) I loved those kids and learned a lot from them. I'm not sure when I figured out that kids respond better to positive reinforcement than to punishment, but I'm guessing it was at some point when I ...

Refreshing Berry Shandy

A shandy is a drink made from mixing beer with another non-alcoholic beverage (often lemonade) and is a great way to enjoy a lighter version of your favorite beer on a hot, steamy day. My favorite summer flavors are lemonade and every kind of berry under the sun, It shouldn't surprise anyone that this homemade berry shandy is fast becoming my favorite summer drink this year. It's easy to make and ...

Oven Baked S’mores Bars

Everyone loves the taste of s'mores but sometimes making them is just not practical. Either building a campfire just doesn't fit into the schedule or you're craving this summer treat in the dead of winter. Either way, you can enjoy the yummy taste of s'mores whenever you want with these delicious oven baked s'mores bars. Oven Baked S'mores Bars Ingredients ½ Cup butter ½ Cup cocoa ...

The Secret to Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

Thanks so much to Meijer and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter for partnering with me while I share my secret to making fluffy scrambled eggs! I love having eggs for breakfast! Maybe it's all in my head, but I swear that the days I start off with a good breakfast including eggs wind up being better days overall. Actually, I should probably add that I love eggs pretty much at any time of day. I will ...

Eating Healthy On the Go Hacks for Busy Families

I always kind of chuckle when I hear someone respond to "how are you" with "busy!" because, well, aren't we all? You rarely hear anyone say "hey, I'm just hanging out killing time" right? But being busy does not have to become an excuse for eating poorly, especially when feeding your family. And that's why I'm thrilled to be partnering with Healthy Choice to bring you some helpful hacks for eating ...

Are Electronic Devices Hurting Your Eyes?

This sponsored post is a part of the campaign “Protecting America’s Eyes” by Reticare in order to inform U.S. citizens about the importance of eye protection from device screens. Any opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. How much time do you spend on your electronic devices? I'll bet it's a lot more than you realize. If you are anything like the typical American, you are ...

How Portillo’s Won Me as a Customer Before I Even Took a Bite

Yesterday I had the chance to attend a press event at Wisconsin's very first Portillo's restaurant which will be opening to the public on Tuesday, July 19th. In attendance were Dick Portillo, the chain's founder, Keith Kinsey, the current CEO, and Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto. Portillo kicked off the event by giving a brief history of how Portillo's came to be when he was a young man who had ...

Chocolate Swirl Sundae Ice Cream Recipe

Chocolate Swirl Sundae Ice Cream One of my favorite treats during the hot summer weather is ice cream. While there are lots of delicious ice creams to buy at your local supermarket, nothing tastes as creamy and refreshing as homemade ice cream. I didn't try making my own for years because I was sure it had to be super complicated. Turns out, it really isn't at all! I started off making ...